


Shoot for the Moon

by wendybirb



Series: To the Ed and Back [2]
Category: Ed Edd n Eddy
Genre: M/M, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 21:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12442608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendybirb/pseuds/wendybirb
Summary: Eddy's confused, Double D is a tease, and Ed knows more than he lets on.





	Shoot for the Moon

It was a warm, muggy night in the middle of July. Crickets were chirping among the damp grass below an open window, their music reaching the room above but remaining unheard by the occupant.

Edd, or Double D as he was commonly referred to by his friends, was slumped over his desk, his cheek pillowed by an array of various papers. He would fret over the smudged ink and drool stains were he awake, but for the moment he slept peacefully, dead to the sounds of the crickets and his curtains billowing in the summer wind. 

Double D had spent most of the past week poring over schedules and plans and budgets for his upcoming venture into higher learning. Eddy would call him neurotic, but you can never begin planning for your future too early, can you Eddy? 

Almost as if he could sense he was being thought about, even subconsciously, a loud series of knocks signalled the arrival of Double D's loudest friend. The bang of the front door swinging in with force followed not long after, but Double D barely stirred from his slumber. 

Eddy took note of the absence of any light from the main floor as he stepped inside but chose to ignore it. He kicked his shoes off by the door and bounded up the stairs. A small light could be seen around Double D's door, but Eddy knew he probably wasn't awake. 

Sockhead had been going crazy over college preparation the entire month, forgetting to sleep in normal places at normal times. Eddy had found him slumped on the kitchen counter once, a half-made sandwich wedged under his face. He didn't live that one down for a week. It turns out you can come up with a lot of funny nicknames involving sandwiches and faces. 

Eddy pushed the already ajar door open and took in Double D's sleeping form. He could already hear all the complaints Sockhead was going to make about his sore neck and back once he woke up. Lucky for him, that's exactly what Eddy was there to do. 

Eddy crept closer to Double D and leaned in, ready to let out a yell. He paused, noticing instead how tufts of Double D's hair had come loose from his hat and were hanging in his eyes. 

He was fully prepared to scare the crap out of his longtime friend like he'd done a million times before, but his body had other plans. He reached a hand out and brushed the loose hair away from Double D's face, tucking it behind his ear instead, and smiled when Double D released a quiet sigh. 

Eddy stood there a moment then pulled back and scrambled away like he'd been burned. What was wrong with him? Things between him and Double D had gotten weird ever since that night they all had drank together. Eddy couldn't wrap his head around it. All he knew was that he'd been the happiest he'd ever been in his life when he found out Sockhead was sticking around. Happier than when he'd made his first quarter even. That and he'd been having weird indigestion around him ever since. Maybe he needed to change his diet. 

He could still feel Double D's lips on his cheek, but he tried really hard to block that from his mind. It only made things more confusing. Eddy could feel his face growing hot and growled, stomping back toward Double D and shaking his shoulders. 

"Wake up Double D!"

Double D startled awake with a shout, his eyes wide. His eyes locked on Eddy then promptly narrowed as a scowl formed on his lips. 

"You know I hate it when you do that," Double D muttered and straightened his hat, tucking some of his hair back in. He spent a moment tidying up his desk, mumbling his quiet mantra of messy, messy, messy as he did. 

"Leave it, Sockhead! We've got places to be," Eddy said and grabbed Double D by the wrist, tugging him out of his desk chair and out into the hallway before he could get a word in edgewise. 

He dragged Double D down the stairs, ignoring his cries about how he needed to brush his teeth before he could go anywhere. 

"Give it up, Double D. Ed's already waiting for us," Eddy said and shoved his feet into his sneakers. 

Double D sighed heavily and pulled on his own shoes. "Can't you ever inform me of late night plans before they happen?"

"Come on!" Eddy yelled impatiently and threw open the front door just as hard as the first time, scurrying out into the warm night air. 

Double D briefly lamented the dent he was sure to find in the foyer wall tomorrow and closed the door softly, locking up before following. He jogged after Eddy, who was leading him in the direction of the playground. 

"What exactly is it you have planned tonight?" Double D panted, already out of breath. 

Eddy took that as his cue to slow down, pausing a moment for Double D to catch up. "You'll see," he said once Double D was walking by his side. 

Double D kept glancing at him out of the corner of his eye but said nothing. He could be patient. Patience was something he prided himself on, even though Eddy seemed to have made it his life mission to test it on an everyday basis. 

Before he knew it, they were passing the park. Double D could think of only one other spot they could be heading to in this direction and sincerely hoped alcohol wouldn't be involved this time. The only part of Peach Creek in this direction was the big cliff overlooking the town. The Ed's didn't go there often considering it was a bit of trek to get to the top. That, coupled with the fact that teenagers tended to use it as a makeout spot, completely deterred them from venturing there in their younger years. 

Double D blushed deeply at the thought of venturing there with Eddy now, cursing his hormones immediately. 

"You feelin' alright?" Eddy asked, his gaze full of a concern that Double D still hadn't gotten used to seeing. 

"Fine! I'm fine," Double D rushed out and cleared his throat, "it's just a little warm out here." 

Eddy gave him an odd look but didn't press the issue. They were nearing the start of the trail, and Double D could see the large silhouette of their missing third hovering excitedly nearby. 

Ed bounded up to them, his red, shaggy hair already sticking to his forehead with sweat. "Guys! I'm so glad you're here!" he yelled and gathered his pals up into a crushing hug. "I thought the brain-sucking tree men were gonna get me." 

"Brain-sucking tree men?" Double D asked as he tried to squirm out of Ed's grip. 

Ed took the cue to let his friends go and nodded his head. "Eddy said if I wasn't careful and didn't wait here for you guys that the tree men would get me and suck out my brains!" 

Double D turned to Eddy, a disapproving glare on his face. "Did he now?"

Eddy gave him a sheepish grin. "What? I just didn't want him to wander up the trail alone and get hurt!" 

Double D folded his arms across his chest. "I'm so sure," he muttered before turning back to Ed. "Eddy was just playing a trick on you, Ed. There's nothing in these woods that will suck out your brain."

"Yeah, even if there was, they'd all go hungry," Eddy said with a snicker, only to yelp from a well-aimed kick to the shin courtesy of Double D. "Alright, alright geez," he said and rubbed his shin. "I'm sorry, Ed. There. You happy now?" 

Ed giggled as Double D smiled at him and dropped his arms back to his sides. "Thank you, Eddy."

"Yeah, yeah," Eddy grumbled and pushed past his friends to start heading up the trail. 

Double D and Ed followed him up, Ed rambling endlessly about a new story he was working on. 

"And then the rebels have to stop the mutant overlord from overthrowing their planet and turning their people into mutant minions by using the power of the lorzak crystals and the light of Neaundu to craft weapons and armor able to withstand the mutant lasers!" Ed explained, a goofy grin stretched across his face like there always was when he talked about his stories. 

"That sounds fascinating, Ed," Double D responded. "You know, if you keep working on your comics and stories, you may be able to publish something one day. The university has a wide array of art degrees to choose from. You could even try taking a couple classes to learn new techniques!"

Ed smiled bashfully, rubbing his arm. "You really think I could do it, Double D?" 

Double D patted his shoulder, a genuine smile on his face. "Of course, Ed. You could do anything you set your mind to." 

"You could totally show those hoity toity art school kids what's up," Eddy, who had apparently been listening in, added from up ahead. "Show them what real talent looks like."

Double D smiled at the look of pure, unfettered happiness on Ed's face. He didn't often hear compliments about his artwork and writing. His parents found them to be a waste of time and his teachers in high school found them strange. Double D was happy to see him garnering some praise for it, even if that praise was coming from Eddy and him. 

He wanted Ed to find his way so badly, and he knew his monsters and stories always made him happiest. 

Before they knew it, they were all at the top of the hill, the trees opening up to a clearing at the very top lit up by the full moon. 

Ed rushed past his friends to take his spot by the edge. He flopped onto the grass and pillowed his head in his arms. "Come on guys! The grass is always greener when you relax!"

Eddy was about to follow, his brain turning in an attempt to make sense of Ed's butchered expression, when he was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned to look at Double D who was smiling at him fondly. He could feel the indigestion starting up again and pulled away from Double D's touch, his face feeling hot. 

"What?" 

Double D shook his head, the smile still in place, and maneuvered around him to start walking toward Ed. "I thought it was very sweet of you to say those things to Ed."

There he went, calling him sweet again. Eddy wasn't sure how he felt about that. "What? He's gotten pretty good at the whole art thing," Eddy said, waving his hand around in a vague gesture. "I meant what I said. I didn't say it just to be nice."

"I know," Double D said and sat cross-legged next to Ed, who had kicked off his shoes and socks and was brushing his toes through the grass like it was the most amazing feeling in the world. 

Eddy watched Double D for a moment before taking his spot in the grass. He dug in his pants pocket a moment before pulling a small jar free. "I got a surprise for you guys," he said, twisting the top off the jar. 

Ed was sitting up now, his interest piqued. "A present?"

"I guess you could say that," Eddy replied, pulling a joint and lighter out of the jar. He placed the joint between his lips and lit it. He could hear Ed laughing already as he took his hit then took the joint between his fingers again. He passed it over to Double D, smoke rising from his mouth to the sky above. 

He watched Double D take his hit, mildly impressed when he didn't immediately cough it back up like he used to. Back when they were sixteen and used to hotbox his room when his parents were out of town. 

He could still picture those days clearly, Ed, Double D, and him huddled together on his bed with the lights dimmed and music playing. 

"Eddy, we shouldn't be doing this! What if we get caught? We could get in serious trouble," Double D had said. 

"Lighten up, Double D. Who's gonna catch us in here?" Eddy had replied, he and Ed already up in the clouds. "You just have to relax," he had said, then leaned in and blew his hit into Double D's mouth. 

Eddy had almost forgotten that part. Double D had been so angry at him after that, but Eddy had been right. It had helped him relax eventually. 

Eddy reached behind Double D to take his joint back from Ed and took his hit, wondering briefly as the smoke rose above his field of vision what would happen if he were to try doing that again. He glanced at Double D and handed the joint over, his face feeling hot all over again. 

He watched Ed and Double D for a moment before falling back in the grass like Ed had earlier, his arms folded behind his head and his legs stretched out. Double D joined him a second later.

"The moon is full tonight," he said. 

Eddy looked at him out of the corner of his eye then back up at the moon, making a small noise of acknowledgement in the back of his throat. 

"Or should I say the Ed is full?" Double D added through his laughter. 

Eddy rolled his eyes and glared at his friends, folding his arms across his chest. "Would you shut up with that?"

He scowled as Ed and Double D kept laughing. "I try to be nice one time, and I never hear the damn end of it."

"Oh Eddy, I'm just teasing you," Double D said, still attempting to calm down from his laughing fit. He turned on his side facing Eddy, his chin resting in one hand, and rested the other on Eddy's arm once he quieted down. "I still think it was a sweet thing for you to say."

Eddy could hear Ed giggling still but chose to ignore him, turning to look at Double D. "Why are you always doing that?"

"Doing what?" Double D asked and pulled his hand away. 

Eddy ignored the part of himself that wanted to tell Double D to put his hand back and started pulling up bits of grass instead to distract himself. "You're always calling me sweet. What's with that?" 

Double D looked flustered a moment, his gaze darting away before coming back and locking with Eddy's. "I say it because it's true."

"No it isn't," Eddy replied, a brief chuckle escaping him. 

Double D rolled his eyes and sat up, looking down at him as he spoke. "Why do you try so hard to make everyone think you're not a nice person?"

Eddy gave him a bewildered look and sat up too, crossing his legs and turning to face his two friends. "What do you mean?" he asked and watched as Ed sat up as well, seeming clearly invested in the conversation his companions were currently having. 

Double D looked away, a look on his face as if he were trying hard to figure out how exactly to say what he needed to. "Well, Ed and I have known you a long time. We know almost everything about each other, and sure, you can be selfish and uncaring sometimes, but you've also grown so much since we were in middle school. 

"You insisted that you hated science fairs and anything to do with academia, but you were always in attendance at any function I took part in. I could always count on you being there even when my parents weren't. You went to all of Ed's art shows. You've let both of us stay with you multiple times throughout the years, and even when you say you don't care, I can tell that you truly do," Double D finished, ticking off fingers on his one hand while he made his points. 

"Yeah, Eddy, you always told me my art was good when nobody else did," Ed chimed in, the goofy grin on his face lit up in the moonlight. 

"You see, Eddy?" Double D continued, his one arm sweeping back to gesture at Ed. "No matter what you try to make others believe, you're a wonderful friend, and neither of us would change a thing about you."

Eddy flushed at the warm, sincere look on Double D's face and cleared his throat. He couldn't help looking away instead, too embarrassed by the wild thundering of his own heart. It was so loud in his own ears, he was sure his friends could hear it too. 

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the feel of a gentle hand on his shoulder, startled out of his thoughts by a now concerned looking Double D. He was torn between wanting to shake Double D's hand off his shoulder and wanting it to stay put. He was feeling conflicted, the same conflicted he had been feeling any time he was around Double D lately. 

"Are you feeling alright?" Double D asked again and pressed the back of his hand against Eddy's forehead. Eddy hoped he didn't feel sweaty. 

He managed nothing more than a stiff nod before pulling away. 

"Don't worry, Eddy! Doctor Ed is in the house," Ed called then crawled around Double D to sit facing Eddy. He leaned in and stared Eddy down, squinting hard while he tried to determine what was causing Eddy's "disease." 

Eddy could see Double D giggling behind his hand and aimed a glare his way. 

"Hmm. You look clammy!" Ed said and sat back. 

"Oh really? Did your fancy medical degree tell you that, Doctor Numbskull?" Eddy deadpanned.

"Are your hands feeling sweaty?" Ed asked. 

"Yeah?"

"Does your stomach feel like it's full of bubbles?"

"Yes."

"Is your heart beating super duper fast?"

Eddy glanced at Double D over Ed's shoulder. He was still laughing behind his hand. Eddy was mortified at the mushy feeling bubbling up his throat. He tried to ignore it and looked back at Ed. "Yes."

Ed nodded and gave him an uncomfortably knowing look. "I know exactly what your problem is."

"You do?" Eddy and Double D asked simultaneously.

Ed nodded, his trademark grin overtaking his face. "You've been bit by the bug, Eddy!"

Eddy sat with a confused look on his face before it quickly morphed into a sneer. "That's it? That's your great medical advice? I think I would know if I got bit by something." 

"Not that kind of bug, Eddy," Ed replied then crossed his arms over his chest. "But if you don't want Doctor Ed's advice, then he won't give you any."

Ed then turned his nose up in the air in a perfect imitation of Double D and scooted back to his original spot. 

Eddy turned his glare on Double D and jabbed him in the arm with his finger. "I blame you for this," he grumbled and gathered his things. 

He wasn't sure how long they had been out, but he was ready to go home. His heart was still racing, and his palms were sweating, and if Double D didn't stop looking at him soon he was gonna blow a gasket. He couldn't handle Ed picking up Double D's snarky attitude on top of everything else. 

He shoved his things back in his pockets and stood up. "Let's get out of here," he said and started shuffling back toward the trail before Double D or Ed could stand. 

Double D quickly caught up, walking a little close for Eddy's comfort. He laid a hand on Eddy's shoulder but quickly pulled away when Eddy seemed to flinch away from the contact. 

"Is everything okay, Eddy?" Double D asked. Eddy couldn't ignore the hurt look on his face and tried to stomp down the guilt he was feeling in response. 

"I'm fine, Sockhead. I'm just not feeling so good. I think Ed was right," he said and faked a slight cough for Double D's benefit. 

Double D frowned slightly and pressed a hand to his forehead again. "Oh dear, I hope it's nothing serious. Perhaps we shouldn't have come out tonight."

"You worry too much. I just need a good night's sleep, that's all," Eddy said and shoved at Double D's shoulder with his own. 

"I suppose a good night's sleep is the best remedy for most common illnesses," Double D conceded. 

"Exactly," Eddy said then glanced over his shoulder to make sure Ed was still following. He was, and he was grinning back at Eddy. His behavior was more concerning than irritating, but Eddy didn't want to expend any effort into trying to figure him out. 

The beginnings of the cul-de-sac were coming into view, and Eddy nearly sighed in relief. All he wanted was to say goodnight to his friends and go back to his own bed where he could sleep and ignore his problems for another night. 

He was sure to take the walk-up to Double D's house this time, not wanting to chance any more time alone with him at the moment. Double D seemed grateful when Eddy unlocked the door for him and ushered him inside. He didn't go in right away though. He stood on the threshold a moment and looked at Eddy, looking as if he had something to say. No words came, however. Instead, he rested a hand on Eddy's shoulder again and bid them both a quick goodnight. Eddy felt something significant in that small touch, but couldn't say what that something was. He almost didn't notice when the door shut behind Double D. 

He shook himself out of his thoughts and turned to follow Ed back into the street. Ed was still watching him, his stare starting to irk Eddy more than usual. 

"What do you want, Monobrow?" Eddy asked, his already abysmal patience wearing dangerously thin. 

"You should ask Double D how to cure your inflection," Ed responded and gave him another knowing look. 

"What are you talking about?"

"The bug, Eddy!"

"Jesus Christ, Ed. What bug are you even talking about?" Eddy nearly shouted. 

"The love bug," Ed answered. "It got you good, Eddy. You should really talk to Double D about it. I think you have a lot to talk about."

Eddy didn't respond as Ed bid him good night and left him at his bedroom door. He was speechless for once. He found his gaze drawn to Double D's house, his bedroom window still lit up and hurried inside. He had his phone in his hand and was dialing numbers before he could even stop to think of what to say. 

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Sockhead, it's me. We need to talk."

The love bug, huh? He would deny thinking this if anyone ever asked, but Ed was right. They had a lot they needed to talk about.

**Author's Note:**

> Emotional constipation is the worst


End file.
